Altman Responds To Rival’s Campaign
The chief executive of OpenAI has drawn criticism after posting a long response to a Super Bowl advertising campaign by rival chatbot company Anthropic, as the dispute centres on whether ads should appear in consumer AI products.
Anthropic is using the commercials to criticise advertising being introduced to ChatGPT and describes the move as a “betrayal.” In a 420-word post on X, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman replied by calling Anthropic “dishonest” and “deceptive,” and accused the company of using “doublespeak.”
Online Reaction And Accusations Of Hypocrisy
Commenters on social media turned the criticism back on Altman. Some compared his post to “the digital equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum,” while others described it as hypocritical. One widely shared comment said the reason Anthropic’s satirical ads went viral was that public trust in Altman and OpenAI had already fallen in recent months.
Altman also criticised Anthropic for running the ads during the Super Bowl on 8 February. “I guess it’s on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren’t real, but a Super Bowl ad is not where I would expect it,” he wrote.
He defended the introduction of ads by saying OpenAI is committed to “free access” and “agency” for ChatGPT users. He said Anthropic serves “an expensive product to rich people” and argued that OpenAI aims to reach billions of people who cannot pay for subscriptions.
Product Pricing And Advice From Industry Figures
Anthropic offers a free version of its chatbot Claude, while charging for more capable versions, a model that is similar to how ChatGPT is offered. Nikita Bier, head of product at X, responded to Altman’s post by advising him not to answer humour with a long statement. “Never respond to playful humour with an essay,” he wrote.
The BBC has approached Anthropic for comment.
What The Ads Show And Why They Matter
Anthropic’s ads present scenarios intended to show how advertising could affect the way people use chatbots. One clip shows a man speaking to a therapist about how to communicate better with his mother, a type of question a user might ask a chatbot. The therapist begins with practical advice, then shifts into what appears to be a dating service for older women. The video ends with the line: “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude.”
Although the tone is comedic, the decision to air the ads during the Super Bowl, one of the most watched events in the United States, signals that the rivalry is being treated as a serious marketing contest. Industry estimates suggest a 30-second commercial during the game can cost up to $10m, or £7.4m.
That figure remains small compared with the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested across the AI sector.
Featured image credits: Benedikt von Loebell via Flickr
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